Drone News Roundup: First DJI Mavic 4 Leak, Tips for Starting a Drone Business, and More!
BY Zacc Dukowitz
20 June 2024This week we’re covering the first leak of the DJI Mavic 4, appearing to confirm that DJI will in fact be making another drone in its iconic Mavic series.
We’re also covering a webinar we’re hosting on how to build a drone business, a new massive drone light show from Disney, drones and AI protecting people from shark attacks in Australia, a big win for drone pilots in Hollywood, and the appointment of Johan Mlouka as VP of Sales for Voliro.
Now on to the links!
First DJI Mavic 4 Leak
Public beta tester left his #mavic4 on the streets to be caught on video by a bystander. We see a air 3 like design but with a larger camera we recognize from the Mavic 3 pro. Could this be the widely desired 1 inch? I’ll take a long shot: August 1st pic.twitter.com/OikebTGbMK
— Jasper Ellens | X27 (@JasperEllens) June 12, 2024
Drone insider Jasper Ellens seems has gotten his hands on what looks like a snapshot of a Mavic 4 prototype. The drone in the photo seems to have an airframe like the Air 3, but with a larger camera, like the kind we’d expect on a Mavic 3 Pro. If you recall, there was a debunked Air 3S leak a few weeks back—now it’s looking like that leak may have had some truth to it. Ellens predicts an August 1 launch date for the Mavic 4—if that’s right, we’re sure to see a lot more leaks in the coming weeks.
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Webinar: How to Build a Drone Business
Need help starting a drone business? Or already have one, and looking for tips to help it grow? Join us next Friday, June 28 at 3pm ET for a webinar focused on “Drone Business Foundations: The Essential Building Blocks for a Successful Drone Venture.”
- Market opportunities and growth trends in the drone industry
- What you should do post-Part 107 to start your drone business
- How to identify the ideal drone services customer
- Real-world insights from successful drone business coach Eno Umoh
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Disney Debuts 800-Drone Light Show
Disney’s latest drone light show uses an impressive 800 drones to create classic Disney characters in the night sky, including Buzz Lightyear and Peter Pan. Called “Disney Dreams That Soar,” the show features some seriously big creations, including a 213-foot tall Death Star, from Star Wars, and a 328-foot tall Big Ben, from Peter Pan. The show itself spans 524 feet, making it one of the biggest drone light shows on record, both in terms of the number of drones used and in terms of the sheer amount of space covered. “Disney Dreams That Soar” is currently being shown for free at the Disney Springs resort mall district—but you can catch it right here, in this video.
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Drones and AI Help Prevent Shark Attacks in Australia
Credit: Department of Primary Industries
Australia has 100,000 beaches, and most of its population lives near the coast. The country is also a global hotspot for shark attacks—last year, it had 40% of the shark-related deaths in the world, an increase from previous years. To prevent these attacks, the country is turning to drones. At the moment, Australia has the largest coastal drone-surveillance operation in the world. The operation uses drones flown by pilots who can see the UAV, as well as using remotely operated drones and drones that can cover long distances, with the incorporation of AI to automatically spot sharks in aerial footage. The drones are part of a larger effort that includes nets, tracking devices, and new buoys made to identify the presence of sharks in real time.
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Hollywood Drone Pilots Score Major Union Win
Drone pilots in Hollywood scored a major win recently: They’ll now be covered under union contracts that previously only applied to those working cameras on the ground. The International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) announced the change recently as the outcome of a dispute with major studios that began over whether specific drone pilots were covered under its contract. Moving forward, union films and T.V. productions made with major studios will have to cover drone camera crews and pay union benefits to drone crew members.
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Johan Mlouka Joins Voliro as VP of Sales
Credit: Voliro
Johan Mlouka, former head of North America and LATAM sales for Flyability, has joined Voliro as its VP of Sales. Mlouka brings with him over a decade of experience working with drones and robotics for inspections. At Flyability, he helped build the company’s market in North America to become the company’s largest in the world, leading the way in establishing the use of drones in inspections throughout the drone industry. Voliro makes drones specifically for outdoor inspections, with a special focus on using drones for ultrasonic thickness (UT) testing. In the new role, Mlouka will oversee global sales efforts for Voliro, with a particular focus on expanding the company’s footprint in the North American market.
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